The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > General Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-24-2009, 01:46 PM
No Wikipedia Cites No Wikipedia Cites is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Can one develop a normal, deep speaking voice through training?

I always admired those radio announce like voices . . . and lo and behold, I found one of those hard-sell ebook websites that promises the reader ""Give Me Just 5 Day's And I Will Have You Sounding Like Barry White!""

The author says after developing proper exercises, he "could literally "will" my voice deeper after doing the exercises I had developed there in the privacy of my own room. These exercises created an environment in my voice box that felt like my chest was vibrating when I talked."

Not wanting to sell someone else's book, to my disdain I found out this book was a fat price of almost $70. (For an ebook?)

So it realistically possible that by following the such exercises and techniques, one can have a smooth voice? Or is it just something people are born with?
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 10-24-2009, 01:58 PM
mswas mswas is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Censored
Posts: 19,009
Yes you can. I don't know how much you can lower the vocal range but you can certainly do it. In general you want to speak from the lower diaphagm in order to get the most resonance. There is a way of doing it that creates a chamber in the lungs that allows for a deeper more resonant voice.

You'd probably do much better with a voice coach than a book as the coach can tell you if you are doing the exercise correctly or incorrectly.

Basically what you want to do is use the entire repiratory system, and the sound should actually be coming out from the nasal passages around your eyes, above the palate. Not through the nose. It creates the most open chambering from the bottom to the top. When done properly it should be open like this for lows or highs.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-24-2009, 02:04 PM
Chronos Chronos is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: The Land of Cleves
Posts: 48,255
James Earl Jones doesn't use his natural voice, but an assumed voice he uses to beat a stutter (for some reason, stutters don't seem to affect assumed voices). Though I'll admit that I don't know what range his natural voice is.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-24-2009, 02:17 PM
aawilson aawilson is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
It seems to be real, or at least real enough that there are other programs to achieve the same effect, and people are buying it.

How well they work and how "natural" it really is if you have to train, is for them to know, and those who want to blow $70 bucks to find out.

This Google search shows that there is an ebook, but also websites, programs, and the like. Deepen your voice.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-24-2009, 02:24 PM
astro astro is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Taint of creation
Posts: 28,500
You can do it but if it's not your natural timbre it often results in semi-creepy "DJ voice" that sounds (for whatever reason) somewhat forced and (weirdly) utterly insincere. The XM-Sirus DJs Opie & Anthony often make vicious fun of other DJ's who use this "deep voice" on their intros.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-24-2009, 04:16 PM
jakesteele jakesteele is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
http://books.google.com/books?id=jgp...age&q=&f=false

Believe it or not, this book is written by a guy who started what was called, I believe, the Magnetism Club. He has written a number of books on the subject. I tried this and got results, but the exercises are rigorous and demanding. The stuff works but like anything you learn it requires dedication and disipline.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-24-2009, 04:18 PM
Superfluous Parentheses Superfluous Parentheses is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chronos View Post
James Earl Jones doesn't use his natural voice, but an assumed voice he uses to beat a stutter (for some reason, stutters don't seem to affect assumed voices). Though I'll admit that I don't know what range his natural voice is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxwrVw6Vsjw

Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-24-2009, 05:43 PM
The Stafford Cripps The Stafford Cripps is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
If you can relax the muscles in your neck and throat it makes a big difference. Since I'm British, that'll be 70 guineas.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-24-2009, 05:47 PM
phouka phouka is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Quote:
Originally Posted by mswas View Post
...In general you want to speak from the lower diaphagm in order to get the most resonance....
Bolding is mine.

mswas, what lower diaphragm are you talking about? To my knowledge, the one at the bottom of the rib cage is the only one used in vocalization.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-24-2009, 09:23 PM
needscoffee needscoffee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
The first time I heard Kelsey Grammer on a talk show, I was surprised that his natural speaking voice is higher and thinner than the voice he used on Frasier and Cheers.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.